Tennis season ends at Regionals for Pavlova

EAST WENATCHEE - The Sunnyside High School tennis team's one player with a shot at advancing to State, Vikina Pavlova, saw her season end at Regionals this past Saturday at Eastmont High School.

In a loser-out opener, Pavlova was defeated for the third time this season by West Valley's Alexis Filliol, the CBL's girl player of the year.

"She tried her hardest," Coach Troy Whittle said of Pavlova's 6-1, 6-1 loss, which dropped her season record to 17-6.

Whittle said Pavlova was the victim of unforced errors and couldn't outlast Filliol's ground strokes.

"Vikina hit shots that would have been winners against 95 percent of the other girls, but Alexis was able to return them," Whittle noted.

The loss by Pavlova, a foreign exchange student, means that Sunnyside will not advance an athlete to the State tennis tourney for the first time in five years.

The Sunnyside girls have six sophomores returning next year, though the Grizzly boys will lose seven seniors.

Whittle said the girls team will be a tough squad by the time this year's sophomores are seniors, led by Regina Mendez, a sophomore, who just completed her second consecutive year at the District tourney.

There's hope for the boys, too, he added, but noted, "They'll have to take it upon themselves in the off season to improve their game."

. John Fannin can be contacted at (509) 837-4500, or e-mail jfannin@eaglenewspapers.com